Spotify Suspends its Service in Russia

Swedish music streaming giant Spotify is suspending its services in Russia after Moscow passed a new law earlier this month restricting freedom of the press and speech. 

Spotify said it had no choice but to pull out of the Russian market, citing legislation that essentially bans independent journalism.

A Spotify spokesperson has said, “Spotify has continued to believe that it is critically important to try and keep our service operational in Russia to provide trusted, independent news and information in the region.”

In early March, Russia's parliament enacted a law criminalising the sharing of what the government considers "false information" about Moscow's ongoing war in Ukraine. In response, many news agencies, including The New York Times and CNN, withdrew their journalists from Russia or suspended their broadcasts in the country.

Tech platforms like YouTube, Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and Twitter have all blocked RT and Sputnik accounts, with Apple and Google also banning the RT and Sputnik apps on their respective app store. 

Meta has extended the ban on Russian state media  RT and Sputnik to Facebook and Instagram globally to stem the flow of misinformation as Russian forces penetrate deeper into Ukraine.